William g



(No Model.) I

W. G. MORSE.

COMBINED BILLIARD GUE AND WALKING GANE.

m y 2 .l @uw E mf y Patented'Ma MM. a@

m w l NiTnD STATE-s FFICE@ PATENT WILLIAM G. MORSE, OFQPLAINFIELR NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 298,111, dated May 6, 1884.

Y Application filed April 11, 1882. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, WLLLIAM Gr.A MORSE, of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Combined Billiard-Cues and Talking- Canes, of which the following is a specification.

I construct the .rod forming the billiardcue or walking-cane of sections screwed together in a peculiar manner, so that they may be taken apart for convenience of transportation. By this construction a walking-cane can be separated into two or more parts for packing in a trunk or valise, and a billiardcue can be converted into a walking-cane, so that the same can be used interchangeably, and the owner can easily carry his own cue from place to place. The small end of the cue is constructed so as to prevent the elastic tip from becoming separated, and the larger sections are provided with pockets and interchangeable weights, allowing the weight and balance of the cue to be changed to suit the requirements of any player.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the cue complete. Fig. 2shows thesame shortened as a-walking cane or staff. Fig. 3 is a section in larger size of the end weight-pocket. Fig. 4 is a section of a joint and weight-pocket. Fig. 5 is a section of a joint without a weight-pocket. Fig. 6 is a section of the joint and ferrule. Fig. 7 shows the exterior of the cue-tip. Figs. 8, 11, 12, and 13 are sections of the cue-tip; and Fig. 9 is a plan view, and Fig. l0 a section, of the bearing-plate in larger size.

The rod onstaff is usually made of wood. It may be of any suitable kind. It is separated into sections of convenient length. I have shown ve such sections (marked A B O D E.) The sections A B, when connected together, are of a suitable length to form a walking staff or cane. When the sections C D E j are added,the rod is lengthened sufficiently to tions, and sometimes screws have been used to unite those sections together. A

One feature of my present invention relates to 'the peculiar construction of the screw-joint. The screw f is made with a thread along its exterior surface. It is screwed for about twothirds of its length into a hole bored into one end of the section. It should screw in tightly, but not so tightly as to risk the splitting ofthe wood, and a cement may be employed to cause it to adhere. Into a hole in the adjacent end of each sectiona cylindrical nut, g, is screwed. Such nut is made with both external and internal screw-threads. The external threads secure it firmly to the wood of the section.

of the sections and of the cylindrical nuts are walking-cane will be straight when screwed together.

It is often desirable to change the balance of the billiard-cue and to increase or decrease its weight. The heavy weights h h are to be of some heavy substance, such as lead. Thelight weights i fi are of light substance, such as wood or india-rubber. These weights may be 'employed in any desired number, and they may be of any suitable shape, lbut preferably short sections of cylinders, or approximately so, in order that they may be conveniently adapted to the cylindrical and axial holes or weightpockets provided for them in the respective sections. It will be seen that any desired number of the heavy weights h may be used, the remainder of the space being filled with the light weights i, and the screw-plugsc serve to clamp and hold these sections, so that they will not shake about when in use, orfall out when the-cue is taken apart. I have sometimes made the weights whole-z'. e., with but one weight in a pocket-but I prefer to employ the heavy and light weights. rIhe plugs k are screwed into the cylindrical nuts g at the joints, and into the cylindrical nut j at the large end of the cue or cane.

rIhe short removable section F, Fig. 6, forms the tip for the staff when used as a walkingcane. It is provided with aferrule, l. When this has been removed, sections C D E can be screwed on to form the billiard-cue. The billiard-player can carry his own cue, and thus The internal thread ts the screwf. The ends t0 be turned oft' accurately, so that the cue or IOO LII

play more satisfactorily and always to the best advantage, and by shifting the weights he can regulate the weight and also the balance of the cue so as to suit his own peculiar way of handling, and to adapt the eue to the size of the table and the weight of the balls played upon. I provide a few extra weights, both heavy and light. I usually provide, also, a few extra sections E, which are a great convenience, because a tip is sometimes liable to accident or injury, and needs to be replaced when worn.

In some instances metallic or ivory ferrules or coverings or flanges have been used at the end of the cue between the wood and the elastic tip. I have constructed and attached the elastic tip in a peculiar manner, to prevent the same being separated from the eue-rod by the severe concussion to which it is subjected.

The bearing-plate s may be in the formef a short cylinder with an internal thread screwed upon the end of the eue, as seen in Fig. 13, or it may have a short screw-cylinder to screw into the end of the eue, as in Fig. 12; but I prefer to employ the bearing-plate shown in Figs. S, 9, 10, and Il. In these figures the bearing-plate s is made of any strong unyielding material, by preference, such as a metal disk of a size to correspond with the end of the eue. It has a central hole for the screw q t0 pass through, and the material at the opening is cut out in a star shape and the points bent downwardly. This effects two objects, the poi nts of the material embedding themselves into the wood at the end of the cue prevent the bearing-plate turning around, and the elastic cue-tip G, being pressed into t-he starshaped opening by the action of the screw q, is prevented from turning. In place of the points around the hole of the bearing-plate, I have made the sides of the plate (particularly around the hole) rough and sharp by raising or cutting, &e., for the purpose of holding the plate to the eue-rod and the tip to the bearingplate; but I prefer the star-points around the hole, as described. The screw q passes into the end ofthe eue-rod, and it is preferable to employ a cross-pin, 1', of hard wood, to form a nut for the screw Il.

One peeuliarity of my elastic eue-tip G is that it has a hole eut or bored through it for the screw q, and it is enlarged for the screwhead. This prevents the elastic tip becoming loose, and renders it unnecessary to use glue or adhesive material.

The elastic eue-tip may be of one piece of leather or similar material, as seen in Fig. 11, or of two pieces, as in Figs. S and 13, glued together. In this last form the layer next the bearing-plate s should be of harder leather than the other or outer part.4 The holethrough this harder leather is to be only large enough to pass the screw-body, that through the outer or softer portion is to be large enough for the screw-head. There is a plug, t, inserted over the screw-head. This will remain in place in consequence of the elastic material being battercd by Contact with the balls. It may be omitted, as shown by Fig. 13, in which case the leather closes in somewhat over the head. The tip presents a better appearance and is firmer in the center with the plug, it spreads less, and is therefore naturally firmer around the edge,where the blow is usually struck, and requires less rasping or' trimming when the plug is not employed. I however prefer the tip with the plug t.

I have sometimes dispensed with the screwplugs 7.' by inserting some springy substance or a spiral spring into the pocket to hold the weights firmly in place; but I prefer the plug 7c, as it is the most reliable for retaining the weights when the sections are taken apart.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the sections in a walking-staff or billiard-cue, of the screw-cylinder y, screwed into one section, and the serewf in the adjoining section, substantially as set forth.

2. rIhe sectional billiard-cue having screwcylinders g, and serews,f, to unite the respective sections, and the ferrule-section F, adapted to the end of the sections A B, when the two or more sect-ions C D E have been removed, substantially as specified.

3. A billiard-eue having one or more axial weight-pockets, in combination with one or more movable or changeable weights for each pocket, substantially as set forth.

4. In a billiard-eue having weight-pockets, the combination ofthe heavy weights h 7L and the light weights yi z', substantially as set forth.

5. A billiard eue having one or more weight pockets, in combination with the weight or weights and the screw-plug 7c, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the billiard-cue and the elastic tip, of an intermediate bearing-plate having projections that bed themselves into the end of the cue-rod, substantially as set forth.

T. rIlhe combination, with the billiard-cue and flexible tip, of a bearing-plate, and a screw passing through a hole in the flexible material into the cue, there being an opening in the flexible material for the screw-driver, and the screw-head being below the surface of the elastic material.

8. A flexible tip for billiard-cues, having a hole for the passage of the body of the attaehing-serew, and an enlarged portion of said hole for the head of the screw, and a fillingplug over the head of the screw, substantially as set forth.

9. A tip for billiard-cues,n1ade of two pieces of flexible material glued together, there being a hole in one for the body of the screw, and in the other for the head, in combination with the attaching-screw passing through the flexible material into the cue, substantially as Set forth.

l0. The bearing-plate having a central starshaped opening, and the points bent toward IOO the cue, in combination With the leXiblo tip holoJ abovo the screw-head,substantially as set 1o and the attaching-screw, substantially as set forth.

forth. Signed by me this 7th day of April7 A. D.

l1. The combination, with the billiard-eue 1882.

and the cross-pin 1, of the flexible tip and the attaching-screw, substantially as set forth., WM G; MORSE' l2. The combination, with the billiard-cue Vitnesses: and the screw for attaching the flexible tip, J. M. MARTIN,

of a tip having a plug, t, inserted into the WM. A. FREEMAN. 

